Food comminution devices of the type mentioned in the introduction are known in various embodiments for example from DE 10 2009 023 167 A1. Said document discloses in particular a device for cutting foodstuffs, such as fruit and vegetables, having a cutting part which has multiple cutting edges, and having an actuation part, said cutting part and actuation part being mounted so as to be pivotable relative to one another. To cut the items for cutting, the actuation part is pushed toward the cutting part, wherein the actuation part has a plunger which pushes the items for cutting through the cutting part, wherein the cutting edges protrude into corresponding depressions of the plunger. The cutting part has a cutting frame in which cutting blades are held. The device furthermore has a cover part for mounting on a receiving container for the cut items, wherein the cover part has an opening which forms a passage for the cut items.
The known devices have the particular advantage that even relatively large quantities of food items for comminution can be processed without great effort. There is the advantage in particular that the user, when pushing through the items for comminution, can also use their body weight to assist them, by supporting themselves on the actuation part during the pivoting of the actuation part toward the cutting part.
After the comminution process has been completed, the actuation part must be manually transferred back into the loading position, wherein the user uses one hand to pivot the actuation part from the closed position back into the loading position, while having to use their other hand to hold the base part stationary. If the base part were not held stationary during the pivoting of the actuation part back into the loading position, the entire base part, possibly together with the container coupled thereto, would lift from the worktop. This can be attributed to the fact that, in the case of any comminution process, the actuation part will inevitably become jammed with the cutting part to a certain degree owing to residues of items for comminution which are situated laterally between the cutting blades and the walls of the slots in the pressing plunger. Even without this jamming effect, it is difficult to pivot the actuation part back into the loading position without inadvertently simultaneously displacing the base part together with the container along the worktop. For this reason, too, it is necessary to hold the base part stationary when the actuation part is being pivoted back.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,096 discloses a food comminution device having a base part which has fold-out support legs and a cutting part. An actuation part which is articulatedly and non-detachably connected to the base part can be pivoted from a loading position into a closed position and vice versa. A spring that is anchored in the base part effects the pivoting movement from the closed position into the loading position.
DE 87 00 035 U1 discloses a cutting implement which is composed of two arms of tongs which are articulatedly connected at their rear end and which can be pushed together counter to the action of a restoring spring. One arm of the tongs bears, at the front end, a cutting grid which is oriented toward a receiving depression on the other arm of the tongs. The receiving depression has a rounded trough shape suitable for receiving a mushroom positioned on the head. The cutting grid is composed of sharpened stainless steel blades and
the two arms of the tongs have, at the front, handle projections which project beyond the cutting grid and the receiving depression respectively. By way of said handle projections, the arms of the tongs can be additionally gripped and pushed together using the second hand. Furthermore, the cutting implement can be locked in the closed position by means of a hinge blocking mechanism.
A similar product is disclosed in document U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,624, said product having no means for locking in a closed position.
US 2009/0158903 A1 discloses a device for the comminution of foodstuffs, which device has a manually operable drive device which cannot be deactivated. The drive device comprises two gearwheels which transmit the drive power imparted by the user to the comminution element of the device.